We Are Social Insurance: 2026 Policy Summit

Event Overview In 2026, the Academy celebrates 40 years of advancing understanding and collaboration around social insurance. As we mark this milestone during a time of profound change and debate about the future of our social contract, we brought together Members, thought leaders, and changemakers for our annual Policy Summit. Watch the Summit Program https://youtu.be/jD_9ZnzutOY?si=yBIKMvSycgbzaaWk […]

Policy Summit 2026 – Bringing SSI Into the 21st Century: Bipartisan Momentum for Reform

Created as part of the Social Security system more than 50 years ago, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) remains governed by rules written in the 1970s, including strict asset limits and income restrictions that can penalize work and savings and leave too many eligible people without support. This conversation explores what it would mean to bring […]

Policy Summit 2026 – Social Security’s Role in the U.S. Economy

As we look to the future of Social Security, this panel considers the role of the program on national, local, and personal finances; its connections to the broader retirement security landscape; the effect of recent economic trends on the program’s financial health; and how we should think about Social Security’s value as policymakers consider its […]

Policy Summit 2026 – Armchair Conversation: How Do We Meet the Moment?

Day Two’s opening conversation steps back to ask a bigger question: What kind of society are we choosing to be when it comes to aging and disability, and how do we show up for one another across the lifespan? At a time when fear and retrenchment dominate the headlines, and when the foundations of our […]

Policy Summit 2026 – Building Unemployment Protections and Workforce Development for the AI Economy

As AI and automation rapidly transform the U.S. labor market, the need to modernize our social protection systems has become increasingly urgent. This session explores how technological disruption is exposing gaps in our unemployment insurance and workforce development systems. We examine a range of policies, from bold structural innovations like Universal Automatic Accounts, to strengthened […]

Policy Summit 2026 – Paid Leave: Unfinished Business from the New Deal

Social Security and paid leave have long been conceived as largely separate programs. Yet the omission of guaranteed protections in the event of serious but temporary illness or injury is a gap that perpetuates economic insecurity for workers across the country. This panel explores paid leave as a missing piece of Social Security in America […]